Food options for residents in West Newton and surrounding communities soon could be severely limited as the town’s only supermarket is slated to close next month.
The Giant Eagle at 105 Robertson St. is scheduled to close June 23, when the store’s independent owners, Mike and Maryann Bingey, retire. A related pharmacy that is operated separately by Giant Eagle will remain open, according to the supermarket chain.
West Newton Mayor Mary Popovich said she’s started efforts to keep a grocery store in the borough, reaching out to Giant Eagle and other food retailers.
“I don’t want to see the store shut down,” she said. “It’s going to impact our community and other communities that are in our area.
“I’m going to do everything I can to try to keep a food store of some sort in our community.”
Giant Eagle is directing shoppers, after the West Newton store is closed, to its Belle Vernon supermarket, which is about eight miles away at the Tri-County Plaza in Rostraver.
Shoppers at the West Newton store Friday were disappointed.
“It’s convenient. It’s the only thing around for miles,” said Amanda Smith of Sutersville. “I’d have to go to Belle Vernon or Irwin or West Mifflin (to shop).”
“It hurts,” said Smith’s mother, Tammy Kidd of Sewickley Township. “It’s bad enough that everything is so far away. I just hope they open something else. We like coming down here. It’s the only place that sells my tea.”
Aside from the related economic and employment loss, Popovich noted closure of the West Newton store would create a hardship for residents with limited access to transportation.
Filbern Manor, a senior apartment tower, is adjacent to the Giant Eagle.
“A lot of those folks don’t drive,” Popovich said. “It would be a major inconvenience to them.”
Many organizations and businesses in town also shop at the store, she said.
“Everybody has a right to retire,” Popovich said of the Bingeys. “They’ve been a good employer in our community.”
She said the West Newton site has housed a grocery store since the mid-20th century. It previously was affiliated with the A&P and Shop ‘n Save supermarket chains.
The Bingeys have operated the store since 1988.
“We have greatly appreciated the support of the West Newton community for these past 35 years,” the Bingeys said in a statement released by Giant Eagle. “We thank our team members for their commitment to helping us meet the needs of our customers.”
The store employs about 50 people, and all who are interested will be considered for any open positions at other Giant Eagle locations, the company said.
The Bingeys and Giant Eagle lease the space for the store and pharmacy. The property is owned by Bache Family Limited Partnership of Naples, Fla., Westmoreland County tax records show.
A grocery store is one of the essential components of a town’s retail community, said Julia Koprak, associate director of nutrition incentives at The Food Trust. That Philadelphia-based nonprofit administers the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, a state-funded program that has provided grants, loans or other funding to support 40 healthy food retail projects across the state since 2018.
According to Koprak, the program provided a $150,000 grant to Salem’s Market and Grill, which was approved by Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority to purchase a Hill District plaza on Centre Avenue that previously housed a Shop ‘n Save supermarket. Salem’s is expected to open a grocery store there by this coming fall.
“A lot of Pennsylvania residents want to eat healthy, but they need a place that is accessible and affordable,” Koprak said. “A lack of healthy food retail certainly still exists in Pennsylvania. Sometimes, there are large swaths of communities where there isn’t really any place nearby selling fresh food.”
The loss of a community’s sole food market can create a grocery gap, she said.
“Sometimes, that leaves just a gas station or convenience store that may not sell any range of healthy groceries,” she said.
“If you have limited access to a vehicle, or if you live in a more rural area and you’re either driving 20 or 30 miles or paying somebody to take you to the closest grocery store, that becomes a significant burden. People are already struggling with inflation and reduced SNAP (food stamp) benefits.”
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff by email at jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Retirement triggers pending closure of West Newton Giant Eagle, effort to keep food store in town - TribLIVE
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